How to Exclude Systems from Patch Deployment

Key Points
Need to exclude systems from patch deployment: Explains why certain systems should be excluded from specific patch deployments to avoid disruption or unintended impact.
How Patch Manager Plus controls patch deployment scope: Describes how inclusion and exclusion targeting determines which systems receive patches during deployment.
Quick Setup: Shows how to exclude systems during manual and automated patch deployments using Exclude Target.

Introduction

In many environments, not all systems should be included in every patch deployment. Critical servers, pilot systems, lab devices, or machines under maintenance may need to be excluded from patch deployment to prevent service interruption or operational risk. Patch Manager Plus provides precise targeting controls that allow administrators to exclude specific systems while continuing patch deployments for the rest of the environment.

How Patch Manager Plus controls patch deployment scope

Patch Manager Plus controls patch deployment scope through inclusion and exclusion targeting during patch deployment tasks. Administrators can define which systems should receive patches and explicitly exclude specific systems or groups so deployments are limited to intended devices without modifying patch policies or device management settings.

Quick Setup

The following steps explain how to exclude specific systems from patch deployment using Patch Manager Plus.

Step 1: Exclude systems during manual patch deployment

1. Navigate to Deployment → Manual Deployment.
2. Select the patches you plan to deploy.
3. In the target selection step, add the required systems or groups under Define Target.
4. Use Exclude Target to specify the systems or groups that must not receive the patches.
5. Proceed with the deployment after confirming the excluded systems are listed correctly.

Step 2: Exclude systems during automated patch deployment

1. Navigate to Deployment → Automate Patch Deployment.
2. Create a new Automated Patch Deployment task or edit an existing task.
3. In the Define Target step, add the required systems or groups.
4. Use Exclude Targets to add the specific systems or groups that must not receive patches.
5. Save and enable the task so automated patch deployments skip the excluded systems.

Step 3: Validate excluded systems

1. Navigate to Deployment and review patch deployment status views.
2. Confirm excluded systems do not appear in deployment results.
3. Update target selections if any excluded system is unintentionally included.

Start your 30-day free trial and manage unlimited endpoints — patched and protected!